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From 'Idol' to Empire: The Success of Ryan Seacrest

Each day at 4 a.m. Ryan Seacrest, the tireless host of "American Idol," is wide awake staring at a schedule that frightens even him at times. "There are certainly days when I'm brushing my teeth and thinking, 'How are you going to have the energy to do all of this today?' " he said in his sparsely decorated dressing room, a half-hour before he was due to direct traffic on "Idol." "But it's like running. The first few minutes are difficult, and then you find a rhythm."

At 31, Mr. Seacrest appears to have found his rhythm. In addition to his "Idol" duties, he now has his own daily show on KIIS-FM in Southern California from 5 to 10 a.m., is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show "American Top 40" and, if that weren't enough, in March he became the anchor of "E! News Daily" on the E! cable channel.

Intent on being more than just a pretty, permatanned face, the ubiquitous Mr. Seacrest is working to build an empire like those of his idols Dick Clark and Merv Griffin. As part of his $21 million, three-year deal with E! he will not only work the red carpet and deliver breaking news about the likes of Lindsay Lohan, but his company will also produce original programming for E! (He has affectionately nicknamed the channel "the vowel.")

He has also invested in eight restaurants — six in Los Angeles, two in Las Vegas — started his own clothing line and is now the executive producer and host of the New Year's Eve show on ABC that Mr. Clark made famous. "Equity, ownership, production fees, license fees: those are the vocabulary words that are exciting to me," he said, flashing a perfectly aligned smile. "If you really want to be in this business for a long time, you have to be more than just one moving part."

Ted Harbert, president and chief executive of E!, said he aggressively courted Mr. Seacrest because he believed the host would make a difference for the channel. "I have people in the cable world coming up to me all the time saying, 'Ryan Seacrest has been great for you,' " he said.

E! has spared no expense in making him feel at home. In addition to giving him a wing for his production company at the channel's headquarters, E! is building Mr. Seacrest his own on-site radio studio.

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In addition to "American Idol," Ryan Seacrest has a daily radio show and is anchor of "E! News Daily."Credit
Fox

"It's plain good synergy," Mr. Harbert said. "The more he's in this building, the more I'll get out of him." Not having to travel from KIIS in Burbank will save him 40 minutes in commuting time, an eternity in his daily life, Mr. Seacrest said. But why the packed schedule?

"I'm frightened by the thought of being out of work," he said. "Growing up, there were people on shows like 'Diff'rent Strokes,' 'Facts of Life,' 'Love Boat' that you thought would be huge stars for the rest of their lives, and they've just vanished. You never want to be that person."

The following afternoon at E!, Mr. Seacrest was gleefully recounting the drama of the previous evening at "Idol." Paris Bennett, the spunky, saccharine-sweet singer, had just been voted off. After years of sending hopefuls home, Mr. Seacrest said he had become comfortable with the weekly buh-bye routine. "I don't feel sorry for the Top 5," he said. "They're all good. It's not great that they have to go home, but it's not the end of the world."

He thought about toying with the contestants the previous evening, he said, making it a little more difficult for them to determine who was getting axed. His voice dropped. He placed his hand firmly on this reporter's shoulder and stared into her eyes. "Lola," he said slowly, "you" (pause) "are" (pause) "not going home."

"The amount of time you take in the last few beats can really get the hearts pumping, the blood racing," he said.

Moments later Mr. Seacrest was racing to the set of his E! news program. On his way he was stopped in a hallway and presented with his first Emmy award for yet another gig, his host work on the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade television special. He graciously accepted the award and joked: "What's the best part of all of this? Simon doesn't have one," referring to Simon Cowell, the caustic and quick-witted judge on "Idol" with whom Mr. Seacrest often trades on-air insults and jokes. "American Idol" has yet to win an Emmy, the Mr. Seacrest pointed out, adding, "Every year we get all dressed up, lose to 'Amazing Race' and go out and have a bottle of wine."

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The "American Idol" crew, from left, Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.Credit
Jamie Rector for The New York Times

Mr. Cowell did not seem fazed by Mr. Seacrest's golden statue. "It's not a real Emmy," he said by telephone from Los Angeles. Mr. Cowell, in typically acerbic fashion, enjoyed playfully bashing his co-host. "Ryan loves the abuse," he said. "He's like that dog in the Garfield comic."

Mr. Cowell said he was convinced that Mr. Seacrest would be nothing without him. "I gave him a personality," he said. "He was the equivalent of nonvintage wine, cheap plonk, and now, as a result of being around me, he's become full-bodied." He finally came around to complimenting Mr. Seacrest, which appeared more painful for him than an amputation. "I'm going to hate reading this, but Ryan has a tremendous work ethic," he said. "He wants all the glory, but he's prepared to work for it, and I've never ever heard him complain."

Growing up in Dunwoody, Ga., Mr. Seacrest, the son of a lawyer and a PTA mom, dreamed of a life in radio. "I always listened to the Top 10 songs of the day while doing my homework," he said. "I would call in and request songs. I would always try and get on the air."

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An internship at a local radio station led to his own show. At 19 he dropped out of the University of Georgia and headed west to pursue a career in radio and television. One of his earlier jobs in the business was as a host of "Click," a children's television show produced by Mr. Griffin. "His energy just baffled me," Mr. Griffin recalled. "I couldn't keep up with him." Mr. Seacrest's good looks also didn't hurt. "He had this spiky haircut, and we knew all the little girls in the audience would love him, and they did," he said.

Since becoming the host of the high-profile "Idol," Mr. Seacrest has been the frequent target of jokes about his sexuality, especially on late-night comedy shows. Jay Leno, on "Tonight," recently joked: "The rumor is that Teri Hatcher is dating Ryan Seacrest in an attempt to get George Clooney's attention. Oddly enough, Ryan is dating Teri for the exact same reason." Mr. Seacrest, who says he's straight, doesn't mind the ribbing, but his friends do, he said. "They're always, like, 'Why don't you tell him to stop,' but I'm, like, there are worse things in the world than being a joke in a Jay Leno monologue," he said. Ms. Hatcher, the star of "Desperate Housewives," told Oprah Winfrey recently that Mr. Seacrest dumped her cold after a few dates.

Mr. Seacrest blamed his tight schedule and overwhelming media scrutiny of the relationship for his decision to quit Ms. Hatcher. "She's clever," he said. "She's self-deprecating. She's successful. She can pay for dinner. What's wrong? It is strange, but I don't think it was a Teri Hatcher issue. It's a Ryan Seacrest issue."

A relationship will have to wait, he said. For now he's focused on capitalizing on all the opportunities being thrown his way. "You can achieve a lot by hustling now, or you can be lazy and say, 'This is great,' " Mr. Seacrest said. "That is not in my plan."